A triple punch post delivering poetry, photos, and an essay. Also it responds to two Haiku prompts from One Deep Breath and answers yet one more interview question from Atypical at Nonsensical Text. Turns out it's all about the sunrise and sunset and greenery type stuff.

First the Haiku's because they lead into my answer to Atypical's question.

Energy in Mass

Mountain wrapped up
Energies glowing, fading
Fires my soul in awe.


Earth's Day

Human throws up dirt
Sun heats up our dirt-filled air
Earth swelters away.

Atypical asks:
2. What emotions are evoked in you by sunrises and sunsets? Are they vastly different experiences to your internal and external senses?

Have you been going through my photography archives? Hmm, no, actually to see my sunset images you would have to go to my old gallery at Betterphoto.com -- something I plan to fix. I even have a meme that I plan to use to my own devices in order to accomplish this. I know -- a completely unexpected behavior from me.

Sunrise is something I saw very little of until this year -- first, because I tend to avoid getting up that early and, second, because ... well ... this use to be my tag line: "I deeply resent living in a place where man's handiwork is striving to blot out my ability to see God's glory in His creation." In other words, there was no point in getting up early to see the sunrise unless I was also willing to dress and drive and be disappointed by a limited view. Such is city life.

This year, God has blessed me with eight months of sunrises over a beautiful patch of the Great Swamp and, during the last five years, at least six months each year have been filled with sunsets. So, because of this, I can actually do a compare and contrast.

They are hugely different. My attempts to photograph them has caused me to be more focused on when and where and how the light plays. And do you know that God's creation loves light like crystals love light? It's true. The flora and fauna, the water and air, all work together to play with light's nuances. And in general, I think I love summer best because the light plays longer with the creation.

As to how they affect my attitudes and feelings, well, I've been quite surprised to find that my mind clicks on when the sun comes up -- and I can see it come up, which is rather often here. The mornings are often my most creative time. Because the sun comes up so softly, I feel myself kind of easing into the day when I allow myself to just be still and enjoy the gearing up process. Yes, I very well know that this is a luxury that is not allowed so much during the mothering years, so tuck it into your "I'm looking forward to this..." folder ... or get up realllly early on a few summer mornings and try it out.

Sunsets ... oh goodness ... now let me tell you something. I know the far left-wing weirdos are trying to turn this "global warming" thing into a platform for all manner of weirdness ... and then the far right-wing is trying to say that it's all in God's hands uhhh and we're just channeling out whatever is going to happen. But both sides are full of malarkey ...

The truth is in the middle. God is calling us to be stewards of His creation. Proper stewards do not fill the air so full of dirt and pollutants that it is dangerous to breathe.

Lets grasp hold of something that is real, and true, and now. The real truth, right this minute, is that in large cities we should not be breathing the air.

Ok. ok. Really. This has everything to do with sunsets. The sunsets up here, away from NYC, tend to be soft and gentle. I watch the sun tilt and play with the grasses and trees and hills. Usually, the sky reveals incredible blues and soft pastels. It is very different from the fiery sunsets back home. I could pass this off as the difference between being in the north and the south. In some ways it is. I'm sure latitude does play some part ... but ...

One of the longest, most color-filled sunsets I ever observed was in the desert when VioletKey and I went on our road trip. Guess what is naturally up in the air in the desert? Dirt. Yes. Really! Dirt. Remember God's creation loves light like crystals do? Dirt is full of reflectors.

In Texas, I sat on the east side of a lake that marked the demarcation line between "city and city wannabes" and "the country." My side of the lake was actually greener. They said it was due to "lake effects." Anyway, there was nothing between me and the sunset but the lake and a thin, distant horizon filled with man's buildings. But sunset revealed one other incredible thing. The Dallas air tended to stay on the west side of the lake and it could turn the sunset into a spectacular show of intense color. I will just have to show you the photos.

As much as I found this color show to be amazing, breath taking, awe inspiring, I found it equally disturbing. I found it even more disturbing when someone off-handedly mentioned that the sunsets over that lake rivaled the sunsets near Mexico City. We all know how bad the pollution there is and how long it's been a problem.

So, in a big picture way, sunsets remind me of God's grief. I don't think He is so happy with our determination to hide and destroy His creation. He's gonna let us because we are its caretakers. But that doesn't mean that the destruction of His creation in this manner is what His original goal and desire was.

On a daily basis, I have come to look at sunsets as an opportunity to purposefully shift my mindset and activities. This is to say ... I see it as an opportunity and the shift does automatically happen in one way or another ... but sometimes I grab hold of the opportunity and purposefully shift -- usually this is a much better thing.

Atypical's excellent blog is Nonsensical Text. Her interview questions have given me much to write and think about. I still have one more to answer.

Go read/see more poetry about Energy and Mass and about Earth Day

My Gallery at BetterPhoto.com (30 images many are sunset).

3. What are some methods you use to keep a little bit of Texas with you wherever you go?

And so I continue to answer Atypical's interview questions out of order.

This question caused me to laugh. We all know I've been suffering from a wave of Texas Spring Fever. One of the things I did was order a Texas Travel Guide. I was looking through it today. It started reminding me of things ... things it never intended.

There is something uniquely different about Texas and it's in the people. We don't understand how independent we are.

We've been told we're un-accepting of people different from us but that's a huge lie that we tend to let people believe -- mainly because we're independent and don't need a stamp of approval. We're actually very friendly and outgoing and people from the North tend to thaw out after they move down there.

In Texas, if you express a hope or dream strongly, people seem to automatically believe you are capable of accomplishing it and they automatically start directing you to people in their network who can probably help. Some call it the "good ol' boy" system but the women share their resources as well. Lately, the ranks are merging and the men and women are sharing their networks.

And Texans tend to be the types that believe in right and wrong ... which contributes to our independent ways.

These are the parts of Texas that are always with me because they are always in me. It makes it difficult for new areas of the country to assimilate me. It made Oregon impossible for me to enjoy. Kansas is difficult for me to understand. New Yorkers are actually a lot more like Texans than they know -- well at least the one's out away from NYC are. Possibly this is because not so many generations ago Texas was populated by people from the east coast. Even families that hailed from Tennessee were only a generation or maybe two away from the Virginia area.

Because of the lifestyle changes Billy and I chose and that were sometimes chosen for us, much of what is Texas is in my laptop (ok well now in my desktop) because dragging Things around the countryside in small vehicles and later in boxes and then even in backpacks ... is a PAIN. But it is amazing what can be cherished in pixels. I have photos of people, places, and things. I have emails and saved chats. And then, Lord, what the Internet holds for me of Texas is most amazing.

I would have to say that one of the most defining things about me ... that is Texas with me ... is that I cannot seem to leave an area without saying, "Whelll ... Ya'll have fun. See ya later." (That is a three syllable "well.") I Say This to Complete Strangers that I have Not made any arrangement with that would even hint at a hope of seeing them later. Now, that confuses the daylights outta people. But it's Texan.

The other thing I do is claim to be "A Texan living on the southern fringes of Upstate New York and loving it." For some reason people are usually amazed to find out that I, as a Texan, love living here. "Upstate New York" cannot be clearly defined by New York natives. It confuses me that everyone in the populace here has a differing idea of where Upstate begins and ends. Then, I was shocked to find out that the New York court system considers me to be living in Upstate while another government body considers me to be living in a portion of the "New York City metropolitan area" ... which is just as wrong as saying I'm upstate. The Federal Courts consider me to be part of the Southern District But if I claim to be from Southern New York, then there's whole 'nuther region that would object. Then my husband stated trying to tell me that we live in the Hudson Valley ... Uh NO! We do not live near the "canyon" that the Hudson River flows through. I don't care that a portion of our county does. We do not. We actually live on the edge of The Great Swamp. But, if I say that, then people think I live in New Jersey. I'm just sooo much better off saying I live in New York, near Danbury Connecticut.

So my revenge is in the ironies of my statement of who I am, where I live, and how I feel about it. If I'm going to be confused, everyone else can be confused, too.

Ok so I started out to put together just a small sampling of how I keep Texas with me digitally. Well, I had to include a bit of this and a bit of that and, well, it was just wrong not to show you the people ... because the spit-fire and mischievousness shows up in their eyes ... along with the "Hey! There you are!" attitude ... As usual ... it got way out of hand. There's about 255 images. They are small so they display quickly. I know for a fact that I will not leave this album up in it's entirety -- definitely a "limited time" offer.

You have options:
1) View the slide show and set the display to about 2 seconds. OR
2) View the thumbnails and pick and choose. But if you can't tell why the image is in the group ... you should click on it.

Texas to Me

Family, Friends,
Fireworks, Flowers, Dogs, Lakes, Land,
Starbucks, Moon, and Sun.

First a note ... If you expected to arrive here and read about Casey and the Magnolia Cafe, something went all sideways and so you can find it on another post of mine: here.

This week the prompt over at One Deep Breath was about writing one line poems. What? A one line poem?

Well, I'd love to explain it to you in detail but besides the fact that I am again posting my poem at the very last second. I'm also striving to accomplish this in about 15 min ... and I'm trying to fix a post gone awry.

go on over to One Deep Breath and read through the references.

My one liner is in keeping with my Texas Spring Fever:

Texas unique thunder storms across rolling prairie hills.

The Women are Fantastic Friday meme is curated by Sophie, of A Hole in the Fence. It gives us a chance to tell about the women in our lives who are encouraging us to have a "We Can Do It" attitude. Today I am telling the story of "Donna" and how she lived "one more day" for over ten years.

When I met Donna, it had been going on for eight years. She and I got to know each other one spring in Texas on a lake. They bought a little piece of property right outside the campground. Then she left to spend the summer away from the heat in the north.

Donna and her husband returned in the fall. And the brief respite from the year before was done. Her first visit with her doctor confirmed the worst. She had yet another brain tumor. So she began her ninth year since the first tumor with yet another round of meds and chemo and other forms of torture.

The church around the corner from the campground prayed her through just as they had year after year. They also prayed for Donna's daughters and always managed to send them some support as well.

Donna's daughters were missionaries in Africa. Their hearts were there with the people and their husbands and children. Donna's daughters worried over their mom and Donna worried over her daughters and grandchildren. But none of their prayers requested an easier way -- just another day.

In an amazing grace, the tumor receded. Donna and her husband managed another summer northern migration and found a driver to bring them back for the fall and winter and early spring in Texas.

When Donna returned, it was fairly clear. Tumors again. We were slowly losing Donna in her mind. Some days she was clear. Some days she was angry. Some days she was distant. And the little church around the corner prayed her through. And she was granted another day and one more visit with one of her daughters.

We left and went our ways. But we heard this and we heard that. Donna improved, she waned. She stuck it out. I know she reached the ten year anniversary in her battle and that she got to spend time with her other daughter and her family when they had some "leave time."

And then ... I lost track ... so you know how in my imagination my first grade teacher is still living -- on the coast of Washington, on an island, watching the seasons change? Well, I have an imagined story for Donna as well.

One day she and her husband found a little place where the summers weren't too hot and the winters weren't too cold. They stopped migrating to avoid the extremes. Donna had her mother's furniture removed from storage and sent to her. Donna's grandchildren came back to the states and lived with them and went to a nearby college.

As you will discover over the next few days ... I'm kind of sort of homesick ... as in I'd love to go back to North and East Texas for a little Spring visit.

If anyone is in the vicinity of the Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival on April 19-22, please check out these thirteen artists for me. I have thirteen photographers to put up next week for you to check out.

If you are not going to be in the vicinity, you should check these artists out anyway. Many have web sites listed where you can go purchase their items without attending (like me!).

If you aren't familiar with the Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival, it is a juried event that has national and international artists competing for the opportunity to show (sell). Here, let me just do some Texas style bragging...

Mark your calendar now for the 2007 show, scheduled for April 19 - 22, 2007 here in beautiful Fort Worth, TX. Also, note the Harris List has just released their rankings for 2006, and we're proud to once again rank as the #1 Fine Art and Fine Craft Fair in Texas, #5 in the midwest and #9 in the country! Also, the Art Fair SourceBook has just announced their rankings, and have rated us #10 in the country. Finally, for the first time, we have been listed in the Top Show List of the Harris List of the Nation's Best Arts and Craft Shows, ranking #7 Fine Arts and Craft Show in the Nation.

(Retrieved from a Google cache or their home page earlier in the year. --Thank You Google!)

So ... without further ado I present

Thirteen Artists I Want to See at
The Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival

Louise Valentine & Brian Provencher
Booth: 608; Category: Fiber

Joseph Becker
Booth: 437; Category: Glass

Ken Hanson & Ingrid Hanson
Booth: 724; Category: Glass

Stephen Sebastian
Booth: 330; Category: Graphics and Printmaking
Booth: 328; Category: Painting

Mary Mark & David L Johnson
Booth: 0(?); Category: Graphics and Printmaking

Nancilee Woodyard
Booth: 406; Category: Jewelry

Victoria Varga & Daniel Brouder
Booth: 610; Category: Jewelry

Douglas Wunder
Booth: 803; Category: Jewelry

Rick Van Ness & Rebekka Van Ness
Booth: 320; Category: Mixed Media

Jill Flinn
Booth: 426; Category: Mixed Media

Annette Schiffmann
Booth: 459; Category: Mixed Media

Bell Barr & Frank Barr
Booth: 806; Category: Mixed Media

Lewis Tardy
Booth: 719; Category: Sculpture

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Originally from the Southern United States, I resist highfalutin attempts to claim ya'll is a contraction of you-all. This causes the misspelling of ya'll as y'all. Goodness Gracious! Please do not spell ya'll incorrectly.

Ya'll is, in fact, a contraction of ya all. Believing ya'll contains the word you is emphatically wrong. Ya and You have very different uses and meanings in smooth Southern speech -- which is full of subtle nuances meant to cause action through charm and enticement. Southern speech has two exacting purposes for the word you: a) formality, b) a clear warning signal.

Formally, Southerners use you as most foreigners are accustomed: "It is very nice to meet you. I hope you have a nice day." Certainly the listener is a foreigner, without community ties, and will not be invited to Sunday dinner.

If the speaker adds, "You need to avoid trouble. You take the county road," this is not friendly advice nor gentle suggestion. Do not be confused by charming, polite delivery. These are imperative commands.

When Southerners use you in an informal setting, especially with those of familiarity, pay careful attention. "You will go to the barn and milk the cow. You will be home at nine." These sentences indicate both imperative commands and forceful expression of irritation. With the sweet-talking tendencies of the Southerner, you may or may not be emphasized. If so, the voice volume increases almost imperceptibly. Regardless, know for certain, you is in Trouble!

Southern people sweet talk their way through life with a wonderful, melodic rhythm that "allows ya ta jus' set back 'n relax." We know a relaxed person is a happy person and, well, a happy person is more co-operative. Ya is part of relaxation: "It's great to meet ya. Can ya join us at mom's? If ya wanna better route, ..."

Understand that when Southerners use you-all, it is immediately followed by a phrase the listeners do not want to hear. "If you-all don't hush right now, you-all will milk the cows and be home by nine." This speech, probably delivered in lowered tones, leaves little room for doubt.

Southerners phrase the above in a relaxed and endearing way: "Won't ya'll help me with this little situation? Perhaps ya'll could milk the cows ... and then stay out past nine." Ya is relaxed. Ya'll is the epitome of charming relaxation: Ya with the l sound gently added in elongated, soft tones.

Southerners refrain somewhat from publicly sweet-talk'n everyone these days (sexual harassment). We still tend to be friendly and avoid over using you and you-all.

Since we have this all cleared up, ya'll have fun now! Ya hear?

A little play about how to explain Meebo to your grandmother who has never used a computer. In honor of Elaine of Meebo and her grandmother (who has never used a computer but still has many stories to tell) and all things East Texas.

Stage: Two tables. Table on the left (and it's surroundings) is set up to reflect the home of one of your Grandmother's friends. Table on the right is set up to reflect the home of Your grandmother.

Enter Stage left: Your grandmother enters the home of Grandmother's friend carrying a piece of stationery, a pen, and a small bell.

Enter Stage left: Grandmother's friend.

They move toward the table.

Your grandmother places the stationery, pen and bell down on the paper and turns to her friend.

Your grandmother: "Now, whenever you want to write me a note, you write on this piece of stationery, with this pen. When you are through writing, ring this bell."

Grandmother's friend: Places her hands on her hips, does a double take with her entire body that implies your Grandmother needs to be institutionalized immediately ... and says "Now, why would I want to ring that bell?"

Your grandmother: raises a hand in the classic stop motion that may be native to East Texas and says ... "Now, just listen, I'm not through ... When you ring that bell, I'll hear it at my house ... Then you go on about your business here, watching TV or whatever you do do (possibly implying with her body language that she doesn't think her friend does all that much because she's still stinging from the insinuation that she belongs in an old-folks home) ... And then in a little bit you will hear a second bell. When you hear that bell, come back here to the table and you will see a response from me right on this here piece of stationery."

Grandmother's friend: Looks to heaven for guidance and says ... "Now, look. This is just Tom-foolery ..."

Your Grandmother: (traditionally people think Texans speak slowly ... but we East Texas women know that when we get riled up ... the speed of our conversation revs up considerable ... so ... the following sentences and paragraphs are delivered in rapid fire succession.)

"I know this sounds just insane ... but listen to me ... this is what my granddaughter's been inventing. She says that people all over the world are talking to each other just like this ... Why people in China are talking to people in Canada and people in Canada are talking to people in Germany and people in Germany are talking to people in India and people in India are talking to people in Australia and people in Australia are talking to people in Holland and people in Holland are talking to people in the UK and people in the UK are talking to people in TEXAS and you wouldn't believe the number of Texans talking to Texans ... Just by using this MEEBO thing -- this piece of stationery and a pen and a bell.

"We've been friends since grade school and you know I've never steered you wrong ... well maybe that one time but ... well he didn't turn out too bad after you were married to him for ten years and got him trained right ... please! just try this out.

"My granddaughter tells me we can talk all day on this one piece of stationery ... that it just grows in length and it never runs out. If we want to keep all of it we can. Or if it starts to get way too long, we can cut off the old conversation and throw it away.

"Give it a try ... if it works we have a story to tell and if it doesn't work you can call the paddy wagon."

Grandmother's friend: sighs heavily, shrugs, shakes her head and says ... "I tell you what, just because I don't know what else to do with you and I really like that little granddaughter of yours, I'll give it a try. But if it doesn't work out, I will be calling the pastor to see what he thinks of your behavior and what he thinks would be best."

Your Grandmother: (rolling her eyes and looking to heaven for patience for her unknowing friend) "I knew I could count on you!"

Your Grandmother exits stage left and (eventually) enters stage right and goes to the kitchen for ice tea. (no this is a winter day in East Texas, she's not removing her coat and she is going to have ice tea waiting in the 'fridge)

At this same moment, on the left side of the stage Grandmother's friend sits down at her table. Mutters stuff to herself about Tom-foolery, friends at church, the pastor, and the paddy-wagon. And reluctantly she writes (as she mutters to her self about the world talking to itself) "Hello World!" Then she dutifully and deliberately rings the bell. And then she stalks off to her kitchen to get ice tea.

Your grandmother hears the bell, goes to her own table and reads out loud "Hello World." She laughs with glee. Sits down writes a responding message. Rings her bell and picks up the newspaper to read the letters to the editor.

Grandmother's friend hears the bell, goes over to her table and let's out a very long "Welll I Never in all my life ... Praise the Lord ... wait till the pastor hears about this ... and our friends at church ..."

And then they spend the day discussing the letters to the editor, the pastor, their friends at church, how to avoid the old-folks home, and above all the miracle of grandchildren ... all while reading the newspaper, fixing dinner, and drinking ice tea.

Because they are grandmothers ... they keep the entire conversation which is as large as three rolls of paper towels by the end of the day.

the end

addendum: If Your grandmother doesn't go to church, change the pastor to mayor and church to cafe ... it will work just as well.

If you think this play sounds incredible, change the stationery into a pc, the pen into a keyboard, and the bell into a sound card. Then you have instant messaging ... and then you can understand how incredulous the whole thing sounds to any one who has never used a pc.

If you think the above sounds normal, turn both tables into pc's, turn Grandmother's friend's stationery into one of Your grandmother's web pages, and turn Your grandmother's stationery into her web browser. The pen stays a keyboard and the bell is still a sound card. Then you have meebo.

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A story of children growing up and time for change.

Tis the season of change for many of my friends as children leave from our nests. So, there are two homes for sale in North Texas. I have been a guest for several nights in each home. I can tell you I will miss having them in my list of options for over night resting places. But, they very well may represent an opportunity to someone who stops by here to read. Both families are the original owners / builders of these homes. They have been carefully built and maintained.

The home above is in Collinsville, TX. The photos are from my visit a year and a half ago. You can read more by visiting the listing at ReMax.com If you are looking for a quiet place to live and raise a family, this is a most excellent spot. The quiet is good for the soul. Did I mention there's also 28 acres?

The second home is in Plano, TX on the east side of I-75. If you believe that being in a metro area is the only way to go, this one is for you. If I discover I have images from the second home, I'll post them later. You can read more about it at the listing at Realtor.com.

Ok this is cutting this deadline thing just a wee bit close. But it's worth it is worth it. My husband took me shopping for a new outfit for Thanksgiving!

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In keeping with one of my blog goals to bring my scattered writtings home to my own web site ...

In honor of my abandoned NaNo ...

In appreciation of today spent surrounded by the smell of coffee and books ...

With lasting fondness for the people I meet in coffee shops ...

I present one of my all time favorite Real Life Stories ...

Originally posted to the Internet on a cold winter's day from a coffee shop (which also served Internet) just East of Dallas, TX.

Wednesday, December 22, 2004

Ok I'm nearly in tears! What a blessing ... such a blessing I needed today!

"I am lost" he said to all of us as he came through the door this very cold, wet winter day.

We looked at him.

He was a man less than six feet tall, over 60, slender, and pleasant.

"Do you know where the Dental Center is?"

"No," each of us said in turn ...

He turned directly to me and repeated the question. I said, "No. But ask at the bar. They may know."

He asked at the bar and he asked all around the cafe ... all in good cheer without being embarrassed about not knowing.

I saw he was making no progress and opened a new web browser page to do an Internet search and called to him as he was about to go out the door.

His response:

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

I smiled and looked up at him and said, "I needed that so much!"

So ... as I completed laoding up the map to the location ... He stood over me and in loud speaking voice he continued to bless me and all that I do and everyone related to me in any way.

We examined the map ... useless to us as we did not know the area ... we made a guess and he started to leave ... but as he reached the door I called out, "OH! Let's just give them a Call!"

Another blessing I received.

Then I talked to the receptionist at the center ... and then it clicked for both of us exactly where the center was ... (ooooh we had previously made such a wrong guess!) and he left for the door.

And I called out "Sir, what is your name? I will call them and tell them to expect you."

Another blessing! This one all about praising my beauty and graciousness! I smiled and told him, "Go, go, go! They are surely looking for you."

And so I called and told them to expect a wonderful gentleman named Stanley.

----

And nearly two years later, I still get misty eyed and say a blessing for Stanley and everyone related to him. And something tells me he may have originally been from somewhere around near my new home.

Added Sunday: Forgot the code for comments!

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